- Read our Application and Removal Guide and Commonly Asked Questions carefully before use.
- Use Gelous Base Coat, Gelous Colour Coat, then Gelous Top Coat, curing each coat with the Gelous UV/LED Gel Nail Lamp. We cannot guarantee other polishes or other lamps will work with our products, as they have been designed to work at a complimentary wavelength.
- Store out of sunlight in a cool, climate-controlled area away from exposure to natural sunlight.
- Store your Gel Nail Polish right side up to prevent it from drying out.
- Keep the neck of your Gel Nail Polish bottle clean by wiping it with a Lint Free Wipe.
- Make sure your Gel Nail Polish lids are always screwed on tightly. We recommend closing the lid tightly after each coat.
- We recommend putting sunblock on 30 minutes before using - just as we recommend this before you go out for a walk in the sun, or hit the beach!
- Avoid touching your skin with the Gel Nail Polish - if you do, wipe off immediately before curing.
- Do not use if you have extremely short nails or if your nails are in poor condition (thin, dry or split).
- Discontinue if sensitivity or irritation occurs.
- Avoid getting back-to-back gel manicures. This break will allow your nails to rehydrate and repair. We recommend a break of at least 1-2 weeks.
- Keep out of reach of children.
- Do not over-file the nail plate, as it may cause sensitivity.
- Do not spill any liquid on the Gel Nail Lamp.
- Unplug the adaptor or turn off at the wall when not in use.
- Don’t look directly at the LED’s.
- Clean Gel Nail Lamp with a damp cloth only.
- Only use Gel Nail Lamp for preset times.
If you are a new user of Gel Nail Polish, please don’t be disheartened if your first few manicures don’t last as long as expected. There are many tips and tricks to applying gel polish that make the difference between a long-lasting application and an application that doesn’t last long enough (i.e. chips easily or peels). Often, new users of Gel Nail Polish make small mistakes during the application process that cause premature chipping or peeling. Once you master your gel polish application you will get no peeling and may get minor chipping at the end of your manicures life. Practice really does make perfect!
Please be patient, read our Application Instructions carefully, and take note of our tip and tricks. Once you get used to the application process, you will be able to enjoy shiny, long-lasting and chip-free manicures.
Here are our tips for flawless application:
- Read our Application Guide carefully before applying your polish.
- Make sure your nails are strong enough for a gel manicure. If your nails are too weak, they can bend and cause the polish to pull away from the nail. Apply our Cuticle Oil and/or ORLY Nail Defense for at least a week if your nails are weak to improve your nail strength.
- Nail prep is supremely important and will directly influence the longevity of your mani or pedi. Before applying your polish, gently buff the entire surface of each nail. Make sure to buff in one direction and remember, you are trying to rough up your nails, not make them smooth, so the whole nail should appear dull (not shiny) from the buffing. You need to be very thorough with the buffing, paying particular attention to the sides of the nails and around the cuticle, as this is where lifting may occur prematurely if they are not buffed correctly.
-
Make sure to clean the nails thoroughly after buffing. Any buffing dust, oil, etc will reduce adhesion of the gel and affect the longevity. Apply nail polish remover, isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol to a Lint Free Wipe and thoroughly clean the nails, under the nails and around the cuticles.
-
Don’t apply your coats of polish too thick and make sure they are an even thickness. Pay attention to the cuticles and the sides, as this is where polish can get thicker if you have too much polish on the brush. Thinner is better to ensure proper curing and reduce the likelihood of peeling or chipping. To remove extra polish from the brush, circle the inside neck of the bottle and press the excess Gel Nail Polish off the stem of the brush.
- One of the benefits of Gel Nail Polish is that it doesn’t dry like normal nail polish, so you can make sure your manicure is perfect before you use the UV/LED lamp to set it! Be sure to take your time, and simply wipe off the layer with Nail Polish Remover if you aren’t happy.
-
When applying, start in the middle of the nail then ‘push’ polish gently towards the cuticle without it touching. Then pull one stroke up the centre, one up each side and finally ‘cap’ the nail by running the brush horizontally over the top (this stops lifting / peeling / chipping at the top and the cuticle). The capping is very important!
-
It is important to leave a thin gap between the edge of the polish and your cuticle. If the polish is applied to the cuticle, as your nail plate grows, eventually the polish will separate from the skin, causing the polish to lift. Aim to avoid getting any polish on your skin or cuticle, however if you do, remove it with an Orangewood Cuticle Stick or Lint Free Pad before curing.
-
Avoid washing dishes or using cleaning products without gloves, as this can interfere with the polish.
Dig out those rubber gloves!
-
Use Cuticle Oil regularly to help your nails look fresh for longer and keep the area moisturised. If you get a snag, file your gels down.
Check out the 'How can I get my gel manicure to last longer' answer above for some tips on avoiding peeling / lifting.
No peeling / lifting should ever occur if your manicure is done correctly unless your nails are very weak, you use cleaning products without gloves, or have your hands in water an excessive amount. So hopefully these tips will help you achieve the same.
Check out the 'How can I get my gel manicure to last longer' answer above for some tips on avoiding premature chipping.
Premature chipping shouldn’t occur if your manicure is done correctly unless your nails are very weak, you use cleaning products without gloves, or have your hands in water an excessive amount. So hopefully these tips will help you achieve the same.
These coats need to remain sticky so that when you apply the following layer, it sticks to the layer below. As long as you are applying your polish in thin, even layers and curing for 60 seconds, your Base Coat and Colour Coat will be cured. Unlike the Base Coat and Colour Coat, your Top Coat layer should be hard, dried and perfectly cured once you have placed your nails under the UV / LED Gel Nail Lamp for 60 seconds.
Avoid getting back-to-back gel manicures. This break will allow your nails to rehydrate and repair. We recommend a break of at least 1-2 weeks.
If you have a chip, but don't want to redo your whole manicure, you can:
- Buff off the shiny Top Coat completely.
- Wipe the buffing dust with a moistened Lint Free Wipe.
- Apply a layer of your Colour Coat, curing as per your regular application instructions
- Apply a layer of your Top Coat, curing as per your regular application instructions.
Avoid gel manicures if you have extremely short nails or if your nails are in poor condition (thin, dry or split). Also discontinue use if sensitivity or irritation occurs.
No, you should turn the bottle upside down and roll between your hands, rather than shaking. The heat from your hands will help to warm and thin out the Gel Nail Polish.
It is perfectly normal for some warmth to be felt during the curing process, as this in indicative of the Gel Nail Polish turning from liquid form to solid form. Our Gel Nail Lamp’s have a low heat mode, specifically for sensitive hands. To use the low heat mode, press the ON / OFF button to switch the power from 48W to the 24W low-heat mode. You can then use for 0-99 seconds.
If you believe you are feeling too much heat, this could be because:
- The product is applied to quickly.
- You are using a different Gel Nail Lamp brand or different Gel Nail Polish brand.
- The nail plate is damaged (from buffing too much, using chemicals without gloves, removing Gel Nail Polish incorrectly, not having a break between manicures, etc).
Our Gel Nail Polish can last from 18 to 24 months if it is stored correctly. See storage recommendations above.
- Gel Nail Polish bottles should be stored in a cool, climate-controlled area away from exposure to natural sunlight. Don't leave them sitting out in front of a window or in a bright room that gets a lot of light. Ideally they should be stored somewhere dark like in a closet, box or drawer. Gel Nail Polish should not be stored in your bathroom, as it’s constantly heating up and cooling down because of your blow dryer and shower. Our bottles are black to stop sunlight from affecting them as much, however you should still store your bottles away from sunlight.
- Store your Gel Nail Polish right side up to prevent it from drying out. Don’t store them upside down, as it can cause clumps and drying at the neck of the bottle.
- After use keep the neck of your Gel Nail Polish bottle clean by wiping it with a Lint Free Pad. This will allow your bottle to close properly and prevent air from getting inside.
- Make sure your Gel Nail Polish lids are always screwed on tightly. We recommend closing the lid tightly after each coat.
- Avoid using your Gel Nail Polish in very sunny areas, or too near to your UV/LED Gel Nail Lamp.
Gelous offers professional, salon quality gel manicures from the comfort of your own home. Our Gel Nail Polish is totally different from ordinary nail polishes that can fade, peel or chip quickly - lasting up to two weeks! You don’t have to worry about waiting for your nails to dry or smudging them afterwards – they are hard, cured and perfectly dry once the top coat is cured!
Gel Nail Polish is made up of acrylic monomers and oligomers that bond together when placed under the UV/LED Gel Nail Lamp. This process is called "curing" and in just 60 seconds, the once liquid gel turns into a hard coating. Your Base Coat and Colour Coat layers will remain slightly tacky after curing. These coats need to remain sticky so that when you apply the following layer, it sticks to the layer below. As long as you are applying your polish in thin, even layers and curing each coat for 60 seconds, your Base Coat and Colour Coat will be cured. Unlike the Base Coat and Colour Coat, your Top Coat layer should be hard, dried and perfectly cured once you have placed your nails under the Gel Nail Lamp for 60 seconds.
Gel Nail Polish itself will not hurt your nails and if you apply and remove the Gel Nail Polish correctly, there will be little to no damage. However picking at Gel Nail Polish may harm them, as you will inevitably peel away part of your natural nail, leaving it thin and weak.
This can happen because your Gel Nail Polish was stored incorrectly or used too close to natural or artificial UV rays.
- Give the brush a gentle clean with rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. Make sure to throughly rinse the brush with warm water, then dry with a Lint Free Wipe before putting it back in the bottle. Do not use acetone to clean the brush, because this can melt the brush.
- To avoid this in future, please make sure to follow the storage instructions above. You should also avoid using your Gel Nail Polish in very sunny areas, or too near to your UV/LED Gel Nail Lamp.
Gel Nail Polish is naturally a little thicker than regular polish, particularly glitter polish.
- To make your polish easier to manage, you can try turning the closed bottle upside down and rolling it between your hands, rather than shaking. The heat from your hands will help to warm and thin out the polish.
- When applying your Gel Nail Polish, you can also try wiping the brush against the neck of the bottle to remove excess polish.
- If this doesn't help, you can try running your closed gel polish bottle under hot water to heat up the polish. After a minute or two under the hot water, roll the bottle between your hands. Be careful because the bottle can get very hot. Repeat this process until your polish is a good consistency.
- To avoid this in future, please make sure to follow the storage instructions above.
Though all gel manicures require exposure to UV light (regardless of whether it’s a UVLED, LED lamp or an UV lamp), don’t freak: “A study quantified the skin cancer risk of these devices and determined that even if you were to have a gel manicure every week, your chances of developing skin cancer would not be increased,” says Dr. Stern. We do recommend putting sunblock on 15-30 minutes before using to protect your skin - just as we recommend this before you go out for a walk in the sun, or hit the beach!
The LED bulbs used in our lamps, are much safer than UV bulbs, last longer and take less time to dry your nails — it’s a win-win!
While the ingredients in our Gel Nail Polish are safe for pregnant women, all polish can cause reactions if you get it on your skin. As skin is more sensitive during pregnancy, you may be more likely to develop a reaction if you get it on your skin. You should also make sure to use new or sterilised nail tools to avoid this.
The Nail Polish Remover used in the removal process of Gel Nail Polish can also affect a pregnant women’s nail strength more than someone who isn’t pregnant, as pregnancy makes your nails more brittle. You should use high quality Nail Polish Remover for as little time as possible. 10 minutes into the removal process, you should start checking if your Gel Nail Polish is ready to be easily removed.
What a pregnant women chooses to use during her pregnancy is such a personal decision, and totally up to the mama-to-be. If you do choose to use our products while pregnant, please make sure to always perform your gel manicure application and removal in a well ventilated area and use sunblock on the skin surrounding the nails.
We advise against this for the following reasons. Children’s nails tend to be thin and flimsy, which provides a poor foundation for Gel Nail Polish. This, plus the active lifestyles of children means you can expect the Gel Nail Polish to chip and lift prematurely. A child will naturally pick and tear at the loose edges of their Gel Nail Polish (rather than removing according to our Removal Instructions), meaning they could damage an already thin nail plate. Additionally, because younger skin is much more sensitive than older skin, extreme caution needs to be taken to avoid getting any Gel Nail Polish on the skin in case of allergic reactions.
We accept no liability for any potential harm that may be caused if you choose to apply Gel Nail Polish to your child.
Our Gel Nail Polish and UV/LED Nail Lamp are totally compatible, with the UV/LED Lamp operating at 365-405nm and our Gel Nail Polish curing within this wavelength. We advise against using different polishes with our lamps, or different lamps with our polish as they may not be compatible. However if your polish cures within the same wavelength it is likely to work.
Our lamps are UV/LED. They use LED bulbs that work on a narrow bandwidth of the UV spectrum, between 365-405nm. The LED bulbs, are much safer than UV bulbs, last longer and take less time to dry your nails, so are much more effective!
Technical Specifications:
-
Gel Nail Lamp Maximum Power Consumption: 48W
- Gel Nail Lamp Size: 15cm x 19cm x 8.5cm
- Gel Nail Lamp Wavelength: 365-405nm
- Adaptor Rated Input: 100-240V 50/60Hz 1A
- Adaptor Rated Output: DC 24V 2A
- Plugs available: I, A & G
Our UV/LED Gel Nail Lamp is 48W. It also features a 24W Power Switch so you can switch from the standard 48W mode to the 24W low-heat mode as you please.
Gelous is MSDS, CPNP, FDA , SGS and CE certified. It is also 10-Free (free of the 10 toxic nail polish chemicals), vegan and cruelty free.
- Base Coat: Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate (HEMA), Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), Thermoplastic Polyolefins (TPO), Acryloylmorpholine (ACMO), Urethane Acrylate.
- Top Coat: Pentaerythritol, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Mercaptopropionic Acid, Acrylates Copolymer, Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), Dimethicone, Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate (HEMA).
- Colour Coat: Di-HEMA Trimethylhexyl Dicarbamate, Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate (HEMA), Bis-Trimethylbenzoyl Phenylphosphine Oxide, Hydroxycyclohexyl Phenyl Ketone, May Contain: Colour Pigments.
Gelous Gel Nail Polishes contain no animal derived ingredients and are not tested on animals.
Gelous Nail Polish is proudly 10 Free, which is free from Toluene, DBP, Camphor, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Xylene, Parabens, Fragrances, Phthalates and Animal-derived ingredients.
Yes, all Gelous products are produced by workers paid a fair wage, well above minimum wage. All factories we work with do not condone child labour.
Yes! Simply go through the checkout process as usual and select the pick up option in the 'information' step of checkout. Once your order is received, you can pick it up from our Mt Wellington store.
Our warehouse address is Symet, Unit B5, 1066 Great South Road, Mt Wellington, Auckland. Our hours are 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday. Please ensure you order at least 4 hours in advance. However, if you contact us within 4 hours we may be able to arrange something.
You can also pop into our store and place your order there.
